The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed regret over its decision to field Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
This was disclosed by Senator Abba Moro, the Senate Minority Leader, who said the party’s decision to field a northern candidate against the backdrop of political zoning considerations weakened the party’s chances and contributed to its defeat at the polls.
Senator, a senator representing Benue South in the National Assembly, stated this on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to him, “As a result of how the election turned out and because the Nigerian people spoke, definitely, it [fielding Atiku] was an error.
“To lose a very monumental election in that disastrous manner is certainly in for regret, ”he said.
Moro attributed the party’s loss to the decision to field Atiku, a Northern candidate, despite the fact that the North had already produced the president for eight years.
He stated that the party’s constitution provided for zoning, but Nigeria’s constitution allows everyone to aspire to any position.
The party’s decision to leave the choice of candidate open was an attempt to pick the best candidate, but it ultimately backfired.
PDP has now zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, citing equity and fairness.
Moro emphasised that if the PDP continued to repeat past mistakes, it might face similar outcomes.
The party’s decision to zone its presidency to the South is seen as an attempt to correct past mistakes and ensure a more equitable distribution of power ³.
There are ongoing talks within the party to woo back former members, including Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan.
Moro revealed that overtures have already been made to Obi, who left the PDP for the Labour Party before the 2023 race.
He added that some persons were talking to Jonathan to come and run for the presidency, and it is a possibility.
The PDP’s experience in 2023 served as a lesson for the party and other political parties in Nigeria.
The decision to nominate Atiku despite the zoning policy ultimately backfired, and the party lost the election.
As the PDP looks to the future, it is hoped that the party would learn from its mistakes and make more informed decisions
About two years after that defeat, Atiku dumped the PDP and has yet to announce his new party.
Though the 2027 general polls are barely two years away, there are rumours that the main opposition wants to persuade former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to return to its fold.
Since Jonathan lost to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he has kept a low profile as he has not been seen at public functions within the PDP.
Similarly, Obi, who was running mate to Atiku in the 2019 elections, dumped the PDP for the Labour Party, where he later secured its presidential ticket for the 2023 polls.
He was said to have been frustrated out of the PDP, a claim that was corroborated by Moro.
But Moro said there were ongoing talks to persuade the duo to join the presidential race.
